Almost 900 years before Christ, the nation of Israel was in a struggle for survival in the middle of a number of surrounding tribes and nations. Aram was one of its major enemies, a kingdom that controlled an area that is now modern Syria. The army of Aram was stronger than Israel's, and there was fear among the people that an attack might be imminent.

Elisha was the leading prophet at the time. On several occasions, he had saved Israel's army by warning them where the army of Aram was waiting in ambush.

The king of Aram saw a pattern here, and he began to search for spies among his own forces. One of his generals informed him that the "leak" would be hard to plug because the prophet Elisha "tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber." Now that's an intelligence network!

The king of Aram decided to deal with the source of the problem. In a secret nighttime action he took his whole army to the town where Elisha lived and totally surrounded his house. When the prophet's servant woke up in the morning, he was awestruck. He ran to Elisha and told him about the massive military force, complete with chariots (the tanks of that time). He said, "Alas, master! What shall we do?" Elisha showed no fear. He quietly replied, "Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them."

God opened the eyes of the servant so that he could see what Elisha had seen all along. He couldn't believe it. All around the great army of Aram was a much greater army. The mountains were full of military units, and they were equipped with even more powerful weapons, "chariots of fire." These were God's troops, the heavenly host, ready to annihilate anyone who dared lift a hand against God's anointed.

It's interesting what happened next. Instead of unleashing the great spiritual legions poised for action in the mountains in a decisive act of judgment, Elisha prayed for a simpler solution. He asked God to blind the army of Aram. (He can open eyes and He can close eyes.) Their sightless leaders stumbled upon Elisha and asked for directions, not knowing who he was. He said, "Follow me," and led them right into an Israelite stronghold where they were defenseless. When their eyes were reopened by God, they realized that now they were the ones surrounded by a menacing enemy force.

The king of Israel saw the opportunity for a great victory, but he wisely asked the prophet before signaling for the attack. "No," Elisha said. "You did not capture them by your military prowess. They are God's prisoners. Respond to them in God's way." And amazingly, he ordered that a great feast be prepared for them, a demonstration of God's grace. The well-fed army of Aram were sent back safely to their homes.

Here is the final statement in this Biblical story: "And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel." God's surprising grace was the answer to terrorism.

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I think we need to be cautious in finding in this story specific directions regarding how we should respond to the current world crisis. But there are two principles that are as true today as they were in Elisha's time:

(1) The forces of God surround those who surround us. His armies are greater than all the military power in the world. Greater than all evil. Greater than every disease. Greater, Jesus proved, than death itself. For the believer, this is the word of security in any life circumstance: "Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than with them."

(2) We should never underestimate the power of God's grace. When we see the opportunity to take vengeance, God may be seeing an open door for a full display of His salvation. He may surprise us by asking us to return good for evil, to love our enemies, to provide a feast for captives at our mercy. His embrace is much wider than ours.

–Pastor George Van Alstine